Francoeur records tying and winning hits for Royals

Kansas City Royals' Alex Gordon breaks his bat while fouling off a pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles in Kansas City, Mo., Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
Photo by The Associated Press.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Jeff Francoeur drove home the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning after hitting a tying homer in the sixth, lifting the Kansas City Royals to a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Alex Gordon walked on four pitches from Jason Berken (0-2) to leadoff the 10th and went to third on Billy Butler’s single to center. Francoeur then lofted a fly to right for the winning run.

Rookie left-hander Tim Collins (2-1) retired the only batter he faced to pick up the victory. Luke Scott hit a three-run homer, his fourth in six Baltimore games, to tie the score at 3 in the fourth. Scott homered to right after singles by Vladimir Guerrero and Adam Jones.

Guerrero walked in the sixth, his first walk of the season in his 115th plate appearance, an Orioles record to start the season. Mark Reynolds also walked before Jones hit an RBI single to tie it. The Orioles went ahead 5-4 on Matt Wieters’ sacrifice fly.

Orioles starter Brad Bergesen, who had been supported by only three runs in his first four starts, left with a lead for the first time. He gave up four runs — three earned — on six hits and one walk.

Francoeur led off the bottom of the sixth with his team-leading seventh home run on a 3-1 pitch from Jeremy Accardo.

The Royals jumped out to a 3-0 in the second, which included a run-producing double from Wilson Betemit and Mike Aviles. Bryan Pena had a sacrifice fly for the other run.

Melky Cabrera’s double to the left-field corner in the fifth scored Chris Getz, who reached on a Cesar Izturis error.

Royals left-hander Jeff Francis was pulled after 51⁄3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out four. Francis, who signed as a free agent in January, is winless in his first seven starts.

Notes: Orioles 2B Brian Roberts had a root canal Tuesday and did not play. Cesar Izturis replaced Roberts, who had started the first 27 games at second. “Hopefully it’s something that won’t keep him down for long,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. ... SS J.J. Hardy, who is on the disabled list with a strained left oblique, could be going to the minors in the next couple of days for a rehab assignment, Showalter said. ... Betemit made his first start of the season at first base for the Royals. It was his 63rd game and 39th start at the position. ... Royals RHP Robinson Tejeda, who is on the DL with shoulder inflammation, threw his second batting practice Tuesday. ... Royals CF Jarrod Dyson, who left after spraining his left ankle in the first inning Sunday, did not play. “He’s feeling better,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He came in (Monday, an offday) and had treatment. It was a little bit sore, but at the end of treatment most of that soreness was gone.”